Chapter 24: Versuchung. [Temptation.]

Rebekah took a much-needed shower before calling it an evening, considering all the insanity she had just survived. After arriving at the station she helped the four mensch-maschinen unpack and settle for the night, assisted Fritz in registering Alessandro as a fellow semi-human being on the roster, cooked dinner for the gang in the hideout's kitchen--in which her only flaw was that she didn't cook enough and thus gave her plate to Alessandro, and brushed up on her Greek outside while everyone opted to talk amongst themselves. The youngest of the women, however, opted to busy herself with some knowledge of the ancient city and refresh her memory of the language she once learned as a child but had since forgotten. After all of this, she was quite the mess and, not wanting to go to bed in such a wreck, went for a warm shower.

In her quiet demeanor she emerged out of the bathroom wearing her dark-blue night skirt and, which she never really wore, a blue sleeveless corset which her neighbors' mother had made for her birthday some years back. At first the youngest of the Quartet swore to herself she'd never wear something so daring, no matter how pretty it was. Yet the memory of her neighbors' mother provided enough reason for her to wear the corset. A lopsided smile crossed her face as she tried it on and saw her reflection in the mirror just moments before she exited the bathroom.

Daaammmn, Reki-Nova! she thought to herself, that actually looks and fits and feels pretty damn good!!

Going to the mirror in the room she stayed with Wolfgang in, she fought with her damp red hair and, fixing it into a loose bun, secured it with bobby-pins. The city lights from outside illumined the dark room with a bright glow, which reflected in her emerald-green eyes. Afterwards she grabbed her book on Greece from the nightstand, sat down on the bed, and, turning on the bedside lamp, read for a while.

Wolfgang, who had fallen asleep while she was in the shower, blinked his eyes open when he noticed he wasn't alone. Turning his head he saw Rebekah and, in his shock, didn't say a word. His eyes were fixed on the redhead sitting next to him, knees hugged to her chest, bright red hair in a makeshift bun, her own eyes fixed to the book she was reading. But what shocked him was what she wore--he never thought to see her in a corset, of all things!! Yet... it fascinated him at the least, at most shocked him to the nerve.

After reading for a while she put the book on the bedside table, turned off the lamp, and simply sat on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. The Roboter kept his eyes on her, but she knew she was being watched.

"Johanne's mother made the top for me years ago" she spoke quietly. "At first, back then, I swore to myself that I'd never wear something so out-of-character. But it's been years since I saw this. This is the first time I actually wore this.

"I'm a little beside myself that I actually fit well into this."

"Well" her boyfriend said hesitantly, "it's... well, it suits you well."

She gave a small smile. "Thank you" she said.

After more conversation she lied down on the bed and, closing her eyes, attempted to sleep. But her companion, now unwilling to sleep, kept his eyes on his unlikely temptress. How could an outfit turn a panic-happy young woman into a green-eyed redhead devil in a blue dress!? ...or, something close to it. In any case, there fell the problem with something inside of him called self-control.

"...so help me God, my heart is overwhelmed" he whispered as he trailed a finger along her cheek, along her mouth, down her chin and her neck. But even that did no justice to his admiration, and quickly gave in his own silent whim, he held the sleeping redhead in his arms and kissed her along the trail his finger had once led.

--sweet Mother of God!?

Rebekah's eyes darted open, the thought crossing her mind as her dream was distorted, she never expected Wolfgang to do this to her! And worst of it, he was shirtless!! But she said not a word and held him to her as he trailed kisses along her shoulders.

However, exhausted from the day, it got the better of the semi-human being, and he rested his head over her heart and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. But his girlfriend simply held him to her, face to the window, wondering what went on in his mind... was it something she did? She couldn't be too sure. The thought trailed on as she closed her eyes once more in sleep.


Morning broke in a quiet manner as Rebekah took her early-morning shower. She really wasn't thinking about waking up at the earliest moment as she usually did, but her mental and physical clock wouldn't allow much time for sleeping in. But inasmuch as she had to wake up, she couldn't. She didn't want to--not after the second attempt at sleep, which failed after about an hour, when Wolfgang woke up once more to kiss her. First time around, she hadn't reacted much. But that time, the moment his lips met hers she opened her eyes then and there for a moment. He'd held her hands above her head, clasped them tightly for a moment before letting them go and holding her body next to his. The next handful of minutes were a blur--she felt his hands warm against her, she felt his kisses through her dark blue outfit. But whatever else happened... was a blur. All she felt were his hands, his lips.

His inner struggle to keep his self-control.

She hugged herself tightly. No one had even dared to consider doing that to her. But she never guessed that the one man that she'd ever love would try to love her the way he did. She still had her innocence. And it took everything in his power to keep his self-control, knowing he'd never thought of her the way he did. But it must've been something she did to make him want her the wzy he did also. It chilled her to the nerve to think that someone could love her this way--it also warmed her soul to know that there was no other person she'd known that could do this to her. For that, she smiled a bit as she finished her shower and shut off the water.

Wolfgang blinked his eyes open to see that he was alone a moment later, but his eyes caught through the slightly open doors to both their room and the bathroom that she was busy preparing for the long day ahead. But the sight of her was what made his eyes widen in even more shock, and he buried his face in his pillow for a moment.

Bloody hell, Wolfgang!! he mentally scolded himself. Reki. In a towel. And nothing freckin' else!? This was quite more than enough torture for him. Finally after another few minutes' thought he got up and took matters to his own hands. Within seconds he was in the bathroom with her.

"Guten morgen, Wolfgang" the young woman spoke with a smile to him. "How'd you sleep?"

He raised a brow. "Now hold up just one minute, sweetheart" he replied with a smirk. "I'm not the one who turned into Princess Temptation last night!"

She blinked for a moment--Okay, NOW I know what's up! she thought to herself, and spoke up in humble defense:

"Well now does it look like I knew that a rare out-of-character moment out of me would challenge your self-control?"

She grinned to herself, proving her point. But the mensch-maschine wouldn't have any of it and quietly, quickly closed the door. Her face then turned solemn in a moment of questioning, which she gladly would've done had he not held her face in his hands and lowered his head to kiss on the lips. For a second, she would gladly have lacked common sense to have him that moment, but while there was chaos outside waiting to destroy them she had a job to do--for the sake of Eastern Europe and, even more importantly, for the sake of the people she loved so dearly. Yet her common sense returned as she held him at the waist and, while she knew her purpose and responsibility as a Clandestinian, she realized also what was happening this moment. And she would've gladly kept this going, had it not been for the chaos outside the safe walls.

Yet she could've sworn common sense had numbed when his lips trailed down her cheek... down her neck... --she had felt this before. But this feeling was even stronger than the night before, she hadn't realized what she had done to him and, ultimately, to herself. She took one deep breath, eyes to the window for a moment before looking to Wolfgang again, who now on his knees had taken her fragile body into his arms and kissed along her chest through her towel.

Again the eyes went for the window, but her train of random thoughts quickly derailed as her boyfriend resumed kissing her down her body. Not wasting another moment she held his face in her hands and lifted his humble face to her courageous own.

"Wolfgang..." she whispered, "I can't. Not here."

His face sobered to understanding. "Not... not now?"

"No, not now. Not here. Perhaps... when we all return safely home to Düsseldorf. But... while our lives are still hanging on strong-yet-thin threading, my heart be gladly yours but... not now. And not here."

Wolfgang hugged her tightly as she planted kisses along his shoulder. "Please, please be patient" she begged in a hushed whisper. "Please be patient. For me. Please?"

"For you, if I have to wait for ever, just say the very word and it's done" he whispered back. "Just as my heart is yours. Gladly and entirely yours."

Her head was dizzy after all she'd been through the past few hours, but she smiled with a level heart and held him to her. "I know I am willing but," she admitted, "not while we're still in harm's way and nowhere near home."

The two shared a small smile until--

*PHWOOOOOOWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!*

A loud siren wailed throughout the city, and Wolfgang stood up, looking around. Then he looked to Rebekah. "Quick shower, and then we see what's happened?" he asked.

"You go ahead," she answered. "I'm gonna go get dressed."

Within five minutes the word had arrived that the Darkstrom and Clandestinian forces had clashed, and that the enemy forces were to arrive shortly to storm the city. The gang all met in the kitchen and, looking to Rebekah, asked what she thought the best course of action would be.

She closed her eyes again, deep in thought, before reopening them and taking a deep breath. Her bright face was set with resolve and, after everything that had happened the night before and all that went on a few minutes ago, she realized that now was their only shot to escape home to Düsseldorf.

"Pack up, and quickly" she warned. "We need to be on that train in fifteen minutes."